


Building a Home

by kenzXquinn, stsqkenz (kenzXquinn)



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Adopted Children, Fluff, M/M, Married Life, Parenthood, joshua is a social worker, loosely inspired by the fosters, might make it a series later, sorry only like half of svt is actually in this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:42:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26587567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kenzXquinn/pseuds/kenzXquinn, https://archiveofourown.org/users/kenzXquinn/pseuds/stsqkenz
Summary: Husbands Jeonghan and Seungcheol, and their two adopted children Hansol and Chan, decide to bring in a foster child in need of a home. Their life changes in more ways than one.
Relationships: Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups/Yoon Jeonghan
Comments: 11
Kudos: 63





	1. Meet Jun

**Author's Note:**

> Important things to note that I was too lazy to actually put in the story:  
> -Hansol is 6  
> -Chan is 4  
> -Jun is 15  
> -Minghao is 5  
> This is set in America, but Jeongcheol and Chan are from Korea, and Jun and Hao are from China. I had to improvise and make it set in America because Gay marriage and adoption are not legal in Korea. It’s messy, I know.

One week ago, Seungcheol didn't imagine that he'd be cleaning the house top to bottom on his day off, yet there he was. Jeonghan was next to him dusting the shelves while he mopped the floor, and the kids were supposed to be tidying their own rooms up stairs. They were both exhausted after being woken up at the crack of dawn by Joshua, their social worker, asking them to foster a 15 year old boy. Their first reaction was to decline (they had never taken care of a teenager before and they already had their hands full with their own two children) but Joshua seemed desperate. Then he told them about the abusive home they had saved Junhui from, and how were they supposed to say no? Now it was 10:45 and Joshua was supposed to be bringing Junhui over at 11. 

"Do you think Hansol and Chan will be okay with a new kid living with us?" Seungcheol asked nervously. They had told the boys about Jun but they didn't really get a chance to ask them how they felt about it. They usually tried to ask their kids before making any big life decisions because they knew change could possibly be traumatic for the two boys. Hansol and Chan had already been through so much and the dads didn’t want to make it any hard for them. Unfortunately, the news about Junhui had come so quickly that they didn’t get the the chance to properly discuss it with the kids. 

"I guess we won't know until we find out," Jeonghan replied, "Hansollie never had a problem when we took in Chan but he might react differently to an older kid."

"Yeah, you're right. I'm just scared we won't have enough time for all three of them," Seungcheol admitted, "I want to help Junhui like we helped Hansol but I don't know if we can. What if we're not the right people for him? We don't even speak Chinese!"

"Hey, come here," Jeonghan set down the duster and pulled Seungcheol into his chest, the same way he did whenever his husband got like this, "Breathe, baby. You're gonna make yourself have a panic attack."

"I know, I'm sorry," The older man whispered into his chest. 

"It's okay, Cheol. Just focus on me, yeah?" He ran his fingers through his husbands hair gently while speaking, "You're such a good father, you know that? You have such a big heart and I know that you are capable of loving an infinite amount of children. Remember when we got Channie and you were scared of this same thing?"

Seungcheol nodded into Jeonghan's shoulder. He was right. Seungcheol had freaked out for a whole week before Chan arrived at their house, he was just nervous Hansol would stop his progress if they stopped giving him as much attention as before. 

"Well, look at us now. It's been 2 years and both of them are happier than ever." Jeonghan pulled away to look at his husband's face, "We will be just fine. You're not doing this alone."

"I love you so much," Seungcheol said with brimming tears in his eyes. 

"I love you too."

"Appa! Daddy!" Their six year old cried out before running into Seungcheol's open arms. The man picked him up and put him on his hip. 

"Hey, Sollie, what's up?" 

"I drew a picture! For Junnie when he gets here," The boy proudly presented a creased piece of paper to Jeonghan. The dad took the drawing and held it out in front of his face. 

"Wow, baby! That's such a pretty picture, I bet Junhui will love it," Jeonghan praised before showing the drawing to the other man. The drawing was two stick figures, one significantly taller, holding hands. The two figures were surrounded by flowers and hearts and above their heads Hansol had written 'Sol' and 'Jun'.

"That's so good, buddy! Are you gonna give it to Junhui when you meet him?" Seungcheol placed a big loud kiss on Hansol's cheek, causing the boy to giggle. 

"Daddy gross!" He wiped he slobber from his cheek in mock disgust, "I'm gonna give it to him tonight at dinner."

"That's a great idea, Vernie. You're such a sweet boy, you know?" Jeonghan places another kiss on the boy's other cheek. 

"Appa~, icky!" 

Jeonghan gasped dramatically, "Did you hear that babe? Our son thinks I'm icky now!"

"You know what this calls for?" The two men looked at each other mischievously, "Tickles!" 

Jeonghan's fingers attacked Hansol's sides while the boy shrieked and wiggled in his father's arms. The three of them laughed until Hansol begged, "Stop, Appa! No more tickles!"

Jeonghan stopped his attack and sighed, "Okay baby, no more. Now is your room cleaned?"

"Yep! Channie helped me!" The boy said proudly. They weren’t surprised. Hansol despised cleaning so he always managed to recruit his little brother into doing most of the work for him. 

"Wow, good job honey. Why don't you go get Chan? Uncle Josh will be here any minute with Junhui," Seungcheol set the small boy back on his feet and the six year old set off running up the stairs to find his brother. 

"How did we get such a cute kid?" Jeonghan smiled as he watched Hansol toddle off. 

"How did we get two cute kids?" Seungcheol replied when he saw Hansol walking down the stairs with a tiny Chan clinging from his back. Both of the boys were laughing and Seuncheol swore it was one of the sweetest things he's ever seen. Just as the boys' feet touched the downstairs floor the ringing of the doorbell commanded their attention. 

"I'll get it," Jeonghan said and he headed towards the front door. Seungcheol gathered the kids in a line and stood about five feet from the doorway, hoping to look as welcoming as possible. 

"Hello, come on in," Jeonghan opened the door to reveal Josh and a scared looking teenage boy. 

"Junhui, this is Jeonghan and Seungcheol, and their children Hansol and Chan. Guys, this is Junhui," Joshua introduced them. 

"Hi, Junhui. It's very nice to meet you," Seuncheol smiled warmly when the boy raised his head to look at him. The kid had dark circles under his eyes, presumably from not sleeping, and there was a gash on his cheekbone being held together with three stitches. 

"Hi," Junhui's voice was barely over a whisper. 

"Boys can you show Junhui around the house? Daddy and I have to talk to Uncle Joshie," Jeonghan asked gently. 

"Yeah! Follow me Junie-hyung!" Chan gestured for the boy to trail behind him and the three kids toddled upstairs. They could faintly hear Chan explaining to Junhui about the new board game they had just bought. 

The parents turned to the social worker who looked exhausted, "Is there anything else we need to know?" 

"He has a 5 year old brother named Minghao. Minghao is living with a different foster family right now but the family didn't want to take in a teenager with a history of violence. They did say that they would let Jun see his brother every other Sunday though, so please don't let him miss a meeting," Joshua explained. 

"Of course we'll take him to see his brother. I can't believe they would ever separate them," Seungcheol exclaimed sadly. 

"I know, it's horrible. He'll probably get defensive if you try to talk to him about Minghao. He still blames himself for them getting separated," Josh added.

"If it's okay to ask, why does he blame himself?" Jeonghan asked curiously. 

"He, um, he's the one who killed their father. It was self defense, their dad had been abusing them for a long time and apparently he was holding Minghao's head underwater. The only way Jun could stop him was to shoot him." 

Seungcheol made eye contact with his husband, both of them barely holding back tears, "We'll take good care of him, Josh. I promise."

"I know you will. That's why I brought him to you guys." Josh wiped his eyes and smiled, "Well, I'm gonna tell Jun that I'm leaving now."

"Are you sure you don't want to stay for lunch?" Jeonghan offered. 

"No, I gotta get back to work. Thank you though," Josh declined. Just as he was about to leave to go find Junhui, all three of the boys came walking back down the stairs. 

"Appa, Jun-hyung said he can play the piano! He said he'll teach me!" Chan ran into Jeonghan who picked him up with ease. 

"That's very nice of him, baby. Did you say thank you?" Jeonghan reminded, knowing his son tended to forget his manners accidentally. 

"Thank you, hyung!" 

Jun bowed slightly, "It's my pleasure."

"Well, I'm gonna leave now Jun-ah," Joshua stepped forward and put a hand on the boys arm, "You have my number. Call me if you need anything, okay?"

"Yes, Mr. Joshua. Thank you," Jun nodded politely. 

Josh turned back to the family, "Sorry I can't stay today, boys. But I'll be back for your Appa's birthday, okay?"

"Okay, Uncle Joshie." Hansol said and he ran up to hug the man's legs, "Bye Bye."

"Bye, Uncle Joshua!" Chan exclaimed loudly. 

"Goodbye, everyone! Have a nice day!" Josh said one last time before slipping out the front door, leaving the family of four alone with Jun. 

Jeonghan set Chan back down on the floor, "Babies, can you set the napkins and silverware on the table while Daddy and I talk to Junhui, please?"

"Okay, Appa," Chan agreed happily and grabbed Hansol's hand, skipping to the kitchen. 

Once they were alone Seungcheol spoke up, "Did the boys show you your room, Junhui? I'm sorry it's still super boring but we can buy anything you want to make it feel more comfortable."

"It's perfect, Sir, thank you so much." Jun bowed deeply to show his gratitude. 

"Please, you can just call us hyung," Jeonghan chimed in, "We want you to feel comfortable with us, Jun. Don't be afraid to ask us if you need anything."

"Okay, hyung." Jun replied. Just then, his stomach made a strange noise. 

"Are you hungry? We were just about to have lunch," Seuncheol asked. If he was being honest, he was already planning on stuffing the boy full of foods. The teenager looked much thinner than someone his age should be and the father side of Seungcheol had the strongest urge to protect him. 

"C-can I help?" Jun asked hesitantly. 

"Of course, baby. Follow me," Jeonghan guided him to the kitchen with a smile and Seungcheol watched fondly. They were gonna be okay.


	2. Don’t Panic

"Appa!" Jeonghan whipped his head up at the sound of Chan calling his name. The boy seemed distressed, and Jeonghan immediately went running. As he hurried to find his son, all the possible reasons Chan could be upset ran through his head. What if he was hurt? Or sick? What if he had to call 911? He eventually found the boy in the dining room with tears on his face as a worried looking Jun held a shaking Hansol in his arms. 

"I-i don't know what happened. He just started crying and shaking a-and I don't know what to do," Junhui explained, fear evident in his voice. Jeonghan could understand why Jun was so freaked out, they had forgot to warn the boy that sometimes Hansol had panic attacks. 

"It's okay, Jun, he's just having a bit of a panic attack," Jeonghan said as calmly as possible while moving to sit on the floor. He pulled Hansol into his arms and held him tightly. 

"Shh, baby, it's just me. You're okay," Jeonghan started to rock Hansol back and forth, the same way he had been doing everytime the boy had a panic attack for the last two years. Hansol struggled to take a full breath and his hands clawed at his arms, accidentally scratching Jeonghan as well. The boy's eyes were glazed over with tears and he was whining in between each shaky breath. 

"Sollie, can you take some deep breaths for me, baby? Just try to match your breathing with mine," Jeonghan held the side of his son's head to his chest to let him feel his breathing and his heartbeat. Hansol grabbed onto his tshirt, attempting to get closer. The boy tried to match his breathing with his father's, taking three full deep breaths before whimpering. 

"A-appa."

"Appa's right here. You're okay, just keep breathing," Jeonghan continued to rock the small boy in his arms. Eventually Hansol fell lax against Jeonghan's chest, completely exhausted from his panic attack. Jeonghan turned to Jun who was now trying to console a nervous looking Chan, "Junie, can you get me a glass of room temperature water for Hansol please?"

Jun nodded and stood up, hurrying to the kitchen. Chan looked at his brother and whimpered, before looking at his father with wet eyes. 

Jeonghan reaches out a hand to the youngest boy, "Aw, Channie, it's okay. Come here." Chan immediately took his father's hand and cuddled into his side. 

"Hyungie?" Chan said in a small voice that made Jeonghan's heart hurt. This was certainly not Hansol's first panic attack, but usually when he had one, either him or Seungcheol would take Chan to another room while the other parent helped his brother. Unfortunately, this was the first time Hansol had gone into a panic attack while Seungcheol was a work and therefore the first time Chan had to watch his brother go through one. 

"Hyung is okay, baby. See? He's just tired now," Jeonghan let the young boy look at his older brother practically sleeping on his father's lap. Hansol has his eyes open but they were zoned out on something in the distance, he was completely out of it. Chan placed a hand on Hansol's cheek and kissed his arm sweetly. 

"Love you, hyungie."

Jun came back holding a kids cup of water and handed it to Jeonghan without saying a word. He still has a bit of panic written on his face but Jeonghan could see he was trying to be calm and collected for Chan's sake. Admittedly, it was pretty scary to see a happy healthy little boy suddenly start convulsing and hyperventilating. Jeonghan had no idea what triggered the panic attack, but he also knew sometimes they happened out of no where. 

"Thank you, Jun. You're a good hyung," Jeonghan smiles warmly at the teenage boy before grabbing tilting Hansol's head up and placing the opening of the cup at the boy's mouth, "Can you drink for Appa, darling? Just a little bit."

Hansol swallowed a couple mouthfuls of water before turning his head again and cuddling into Jeonghan, "Sleepy, Appa."

"I know, baby. Wanna come lay with Appa on the couch?" Jeonghan felt the boy nod and he maneuvered them until he was standing holding Hansol like a koala bear. Hansol was getting older, but Jeonghan could still hold him like he was light as a feather. 

Jun took Chan's hand and followed Jeonghan to the living room. The father carefully layed himself down on his back, letting Hansol rest peacefully on his chest. Jun sat in the recliner chair next to the couch and pulled Chan onto his lap. He had technically only been with the family for twelve days but he already felt the urge to protect and care for the younger boys in the house. He couldn't help it, they reminded him too much of Minghao. 

"What movie do you wanna watch, Hannie? You can pick whatever you want," Jeonghan asked as he pet the young boy's hair. Hansol was beginning to drift into sleep but Jeonghan was trying to keep him awake so he wouldn't mess up his sleep schedule. 

"Nemo."

Jeonghan smiled at the cute request, "Nemo it is then, baby."

-

Seungcheol came home an hour later to find his family in the living room and felt a warmth in his chest. Jeonghan, who had heard the door open, turned to him with an exhausted smile. 

"Hey."

"Hey, babe. What's going on?" Seungcheol asked as he leaned down to place a gentle peck on his husband's lips. There was a bit of concern on his face when he saw the tired expressions on his husband and eldest son's faces. 

"Hi, Daddy!" Chan greeting from Junhui's lap before focusing his attention back on the movie. Chan had already recovered from the day's events and was just happy to be watching Nemo with his family. 

"Hansollie had a bit of an incident while you were at work. He's okay now but I don't know what happened yet," Jeonghan explained. Hansol turned his head and peeked up at his other father. 

"Daddy."

"Hi, buddy. You must be feeling pretty icky, hm?" Seungcheol rubbed Hansol's back comfortingly. He made a note to cuddle Hansol extra that night before bed. 

The boy nodded, "Icky."

"I know, baby." He said sympathetically, "I'm gonna go make us some dinner and it'll make you feel better, okay?" 

Jeonghan smiled gratefully as his husband and leaned his neck up to give the other man another kiss. This one was full of gratitude and relief, a silent thank you. Hansol's panic attacks were exhausting for the boy, but they were also draining for anyone there to help. Jeonghan was usually the one who helped calm him down, but Seungcheol was the one who usually helped calm Jeonghan down. 

-

"Dinner's ready guys," Seungcheol announced as he peeked his head into the living room. Chan immediately jumped up and ran to the kitchen, Jun following close behind. Seungcheol walked over to his husband and lifted Hansol into his own arms. 

"C'mere, baby. I made nuggets for everyone but I also made you some plain toast in case you're not up for food right now," Sometimes Hansol was really sensitive after an attack and his senses were more alert than normal. During those times Hansol liked quiet noises, dim lights, and bland food. 

"Thank you, Daddy," Hansol clung onto his father's neck, feeling more awake than he did a couple hours before. Jeonghan got up to stretch before following the rest of his family into the kitchen. 

Jun was already helping Chan fill his plate up with nuggets and fries while Seungcheol was helping Hansol find his seat. Jeonghan couldn't help but smile at how much he loved his family. Even Junhui, who they had known less than two weeks, was already making his place in Jeonghan's heart forever. Jeonghan took his own seat at the table next to Jun and Chan and started making his own plate. 

Jun started speaking cautiously, "Did, um, did Mr. Josh tell you about my brother?"

"He told us. You're seeing him tomorrow, yes?" Seungcheol replied. They tried to sound as nonchalant as possible, remembering what Joshua had said about Jun possibly shutting them out if they talk about Minghao. 

"Yeah. I, uh, was just wondering if you'd drive me there? It's okay if you can't, I could just y'know take the bus or walk or something. I don't wanna impose or anything," Jun started rambling. 

"Baby, of course we'll drive you," Jeonghan cupped Jun's cheek with his palm, "Do you know the address and time?"

"Yeah, it's at noon and I wrote the address down somewhere in my bag," Jun smiled. Like genuinely smiled. "Would you guys like to meet him? He is probably going to wonder who I've been staying with."

"We'd love you meet him, Junie," Seungcheol was shocked at the request but honored at the same time, "Do you wanna tell us about him?"

"Um, sure. Well, he's five years old and his name is Minghao. He is pretty quiet but he's the sweetest boy you'll ever meet. He loves martial arts but I could never afford to get him lessons so he learns from books and youtube videos." Jun's smile grew wider and wider as he talked. Seungcheol was certain this was the most they'd ever heard Jun talk about anything, "He has the cutest smile you will ever see, and he looks like an angel on the outside but once you get closer to him he becomes a little devil."

"Junie-hyung, can I draw him a picture?" Chan asked before shoving a chicken nugget in his mouth. 

"Of course you can, Channie. He would love a picture," Jun grinned at the little boy. Chan and Hansol reminded him so much of Minghao, he could help but be soft for them. 

"Thank you for trusting us to meet him, Jun. We know how much he means to you," Jeonghan grabber the teenager's hand and gave it a reaffirming squeeze. 

"I trust you guys a lot, and I want him to see I'm with a good family. He's never known what a good father should be, but now I'm living with two amazing dads and I want him to see that," Jun's eyes started watering. Jeonghan cooed and pulled the boy into him for an awkward side hug. 

"That is one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me, baby. I promise we won't let you down."

And Seungcheol realized he was silly for thinking he wouldn't have enough love to go around. Because love isn't something that that you can run out of. Love only grows.


	3. Meet Minghao

"Hansol, hurry up please! We're gonna be late!" Seuncheol finished tying Chan's shoes and sighed. It had been a busy morning already and it wasn't even 11 yet. It was the day they were going to take Jun to see his brother and the parents were nervous. What if Minghao doesn't like them? What if Minghao's foster parents decide Jun shouldn't get to see him anymore?

"Daddy, why is Appa wearing his "lucky pants" today?" Hansol plopped his butt down by the front door and started putting his left shoe on his right foot. Seungcheol could help but laugh and took the boy's shoes into his own hands. 

"I don't know why Appa is wearing those pants today, baby. Maybe he's feeling nervous," Seungcheol replied. He remembered Jeonghan telling him one time that his "lucky pants" were an old pair of black jeans that he wore the day he took his chemistry midterm (Jeonghan's least favorite class) in their senior year irl college and he ended up passing with one of the highest grades in the class. Seungcheol tried convincing him the reason he passed was because they two of them had stayed up studying for eight hours but Jeonghan insisted it was the jeans. Since then, the man only wore the jeans when he really needed the day to go well. He wore them the day him and Seungcheol moved to America, and he wore them the day they got Hansol and the day they got Chan. He said he was going to wear them the day Jun came too but he couldn't find them. 

"Whenever Appa wears those jeans you hug him real tight and tell him you can't wait to show him how beautiful he is after me and Channie go to bed," Hansol replied innocently. Seungcheol opened his mouth in surprised and blushed uncontrollably. Jun snorted which received a flustered look from Seungcheol. Hansol wasn't wrong, Seungcheol did say that every time Jeonghan wore the pants. He couldn't help it, they were very tight. 

"Well, um, your Appa is very gorgeous but sometimes he forgets. So after you and Channie go to bed I remind him," Seungcheol tried to explain to his son as best as he could. He could feel the tips of his ears turning red while Junhui tried to hide his giggles. 

"You don't have to wait until we go to bed, Daddy! You can remind him whenever you want!" Chan pitches in. 

"What do you have to remind me?" Jeonghan asked as he walked down the stairs, surely enough, wearing the infamous pants. Seungcheol blushed even further. 

"You look beautiful, Appa!" Hansol exclaimed proudly. Jeonghan's face morphed into confusion and embarrassment all at once. 

"Well, thank you, Hansollie. You look beautiful too," Jeonghan leaned down to kiss the top of his son's head, still a bit confused by the boy's sudden declaration. 

"See, daddy? You can do it whenever!" 

Seungcheol laughed at Jeonghan's perplexed expression and just shrugged at him, "You're right, Vernie. Thank you for teaching me that." 

"Okay, well now that we've established I am the prettiest princess of this household, shall we get going? It's a forty five minute drive to get there," Jeonghan slipped on his own shoes and coat before grabbing his keys and opening the door. He let the two young boys run out to the car to get into their car seats (they were big boys now, and they could do it all by themselves, Appa). Jun followed the two parents out of the house, looking more excited and happy than they'd seen him since he had been living with them. 

Once all five of them were buckled into the mini van and ready to go, Seungcheol typed the address into the GPS and sped off down the road. After ten minutes of driving (and 7 minutes of Jeonghan singing along to the radio) Chan and Hansol were fast asleep in their car seats. Seungcheol peeked in the rear view mirror to see Jun looking out the mirror and mouthing along with the song with a smile. 

-

As soon as Jun stepped out of the car he noticed the small body running at him. 

"Junie!" Minghao screamed before jumping into Jun's open arms, wrapping his whole body around him like a koala. Jun immediately brought his arms around the boy in a bone crushing hug, both of them burying their heads in each other's necks. 

"Hi, baobèi," Jun managed to choke out from behind the tears threatening to escape his eyes. 

"I missed you so much," Minghao whispered into Jun's shoulder, just barely loud enough for Jeonghan and Seungcheol to hear. The family of four had also stepped out of the car and were starring awkwardly in a line behind Jun, looking back and forth between the reunited brothers and the couple standing patiently in the yard. Jeonghan assumes they must be Minghao's foster parents. The duo was an older white couple with graying hair. They both wore crosses around their necks and frowns are their faces. 

"I missed you too, Hao. I missed you so much," Jun knew the hug had lasted way too long but he could bring himself to let go of his baby brother. Instead, he opted to pull his face away, still holding the boy by the backs of his legs. He walked over to Minghao's foster parents and reached out his hand. 

"Hello, I'm Junhui, Minghao's brother. It's nice to meet you," Jun shook both of their hands. The woman began to talk. 

"I'm Nancy and this is Doug, we're Mark's foster parents."

"Who's Mark?" Jun scrunched his face in confusion. 

"Oh, that's what we've been calling him. His Japanese name was too hard for us to pronounce," Doug said and the couple laughed. Jun clenched his jaw but tried to keep his calm for Minghao. Not only was this couple racist, they tried to change his brother's name. 

"We're actually from China," He corrected. 

"Oh, well, you know what I mean," Doug said and laughed again. Haha racism is so funny. How hard was it to remember which country your foster child was from?

Minghao poked his head up and pointed to Jeonghan and Seungcheol, "Gēge, who's that?" 

Jun shifted Minghao so he could properly look at the family and began to introduce them, "That's Jeonghan and thats Seungcheol, my foster parents. And these are their sons Hansol and Chan."

"Hi, I'm Minghao," the boy waved shyly but smiled. Jeonghan wanted to coo at the tiny boy but he also wanted to protect him. Minghao looked even smaller than Chan and Jun had told them he was a whole year older than their youngest son. Minghao also had a couple of scars on his arms and a scar on his cheek, similar to the one on Jun's face. 

"Hi, baby, it's very nice to meet you," Jeonghan said gently. He suddenly understood what Jun meant when he said he had the smile of an angel.

"If you'd all like to come inside, I made some cookies," Nancy offered and waved them all inside the house. Jun was the last one to enter the house, Minghao still secured closely in his arms. The older boy took a look around the house and almost laughed. The decor made it look like the inside of a Marshall's. The rest of the people went into the dining room but Jun decided to go the other way. 

Jun sat down in a chair in the living room and held his brother on his lap, making sure no one else was around before speaking in Chinese, "How do you like it here? Are they treating you okay?"

Minghao rested his body against Jun's and nodded, "It's okay. They keep calling me Mark and they tried to make me read a bible, but they're pretty nice. Mrs. Nancy let's me watch cartoons every morning while she makes breakfast."

"That's good, baby. I'm glad you like it," Jun sighed in relief. All he wanted was for his brother to be safe. 

"I wish I could be with you, Gēge," Minghao said sadly. 

"Me too, buddy, me too," Jun whispered. Just then, Hansol and Chan ran into the room grinning. They were followed by the four adults who found their seats on the couch. 

"Minghao, we brought something for you!" Hansol announced before pulling out a folded piece of paper out of his pockets. They handed it to Minghao who looked at his brother in confusion. 

"Open it, baby," Jun encouraged. Minghao opened the first piece of paper and gasped. It was a big red heart, surrounded by flowers, and in the middle of the heart was a small note the read, 'To Minghao, Jun told us you're really cool and you like flowers. We hope you like it! -Hansol and Chan'. Minghao turned to Hansol with a big smile. 

"Thank you! It's so pretty!" Minghao showed the picture to his brother, "Look!"

"I see, baby, it's very nice. Why don't you say thank you to Hansol and Channie?" Jun reminded the boy. Seungcheol smiled at how fatherly Jun sounded when he talked to the boy. It almost reminded him of how Jeonghan talked to the kids. 

"Thank you, Channie! Thank you, Sollie!" Minghao climbed off of Jun's lap to hug onto both of the boys. Jeonghan and Seungcheol felt their hearts grow as they watched the cute interaction. Minghao crawled back into Junhui's lap and grinned super wide. 

"So, Junhui, how old are you again?" Nancy asked with forced politeness. Jun could sense that she didn't like him very much but he had no idea why. 

"I'm 15, ma'am," Jun replied. 

"And what kind of things do you like to do?" 

"Um, well, I don't really have time for hobbies. I've been taking care of Minghao for the last five years so I guess he's my favorite hobby," Jun tickled his brother's sides causing a giggle and a squeal. 

"That's not true! Junie plays piano, and he's really good!" Minghao interjected proudly. 

"Wow, where did you learn?" Nancy asked with surprise evident in her voice. Jun could practically feel the judgement radiating off of the couple. He's sure they didn't expect the fucked up foster kid to know how to play such a classic instrument. 

"Our, um, mother taught me before she died. I haven't really played in a long time though."

"Gēge, I wanna show you my room!" Minghao jumped up and grabbed Jun by the hand, dragging him to the stairs. Jun looked at Nancy and Doug for permission, receiving a curt nod in response. 

Once the two brothers had disappeared upstairs, the adults and Hansol and Chan were left to talk. 

"So, where are you and the kids from?" Nancy asked.

"We're from Korea, we moved here to get married and we just decided to stay. Hansol was born in New York and Chan was born here in Seattle." Seungcheol answered.

"That's lovely. Do you foster kids often?" 

"Not exactly. We fostered both Hansol and Channie before adopting them but we thought after them we'd be done. Then we got a call that there was a teenage boy who needed our help and we couldn't turn him away. It's only been a couple weeks with Jun but we already adore him," Jeonghan smiled as he told their story. He was so proud of the family they had built, and he even could already see himself taking in Jun as his son. 

"In fact, we wanted to talk about that," Seungcheol added hesitantly, "We want to take in Minghao as well."

"Excuse me?" Doug questioned. 

"We think that Junhui and Minghao should not be separated and we are willing to take both of them. We are going to file it with the state tonight and hopefully they'll be transferring Minghao to us later this week."

"You can't just steal our foster child!" Nancy exclaimed. 

"We're not stealing anyone, ma'am. We just believe brothers should stay together, and we have the room and the money to provide a home for both of them," Jeonghan explained calmly. Hansol sensed the shift in atmosphere and climbed into Seungcheol's lap, not liking the angry tone in Doug and Nancy's voices. 

Just then Jun walked back downstairs holding Minghao's hand, "Is everything okay? I heard yelling?"

"Jun, I think it's time you and your foster family leave," Nancy replied. 

Jun's mouth immediately turned into a frown and Minghao's hand tightened on his brother's, "Already? Please, can I just stay with him for a bit longer."

"I'm afraid not. Mark, say goodbye to your brother please," Doug ordered. 

"No! Gēge, don't go!" Minghao's eyes filled with tears. Jun shushed him and picked him up into his arms. 

"Sh, baby, it's okay. I'll be back, I promise," Jun's own tears began to fall down his face as he wiped the boy's eyes. 

"Don't leave me again, please," Minghao sobbed into his brother's shoulder. Jeonghan and Seungcheol could feel their hearts breaking as they watched. 

"I'm not leaving you, Hao. I'll never, ever, leave you," Jun hugged him so tight Seungcheol thought he might break his ribs. 

"I don't want you to go."

"I don't wanna go either, baby, but I have to," Jun tried to calm the boy down, "Remember what I said the first time they took you you away from me?"

"You'll always come back for me. Even when we're wrinkly and old," Minghao sniffed and replied. 

"That's right, and you better remember that. No matter how long we're apart, I'm always coming back," Jun whispered before kissing Minghao's head one last time. He set the boy back on the ground and crouched down to look him in the eyes, "I love you, Hao."

"I love you too, Junie."

-

The car ride back home was awkward. Jun hadn't stopped crying since they left, so Jeonghan had crawled into the very backseat to hold him. The man had never been more grateful for their seven-seater mini van than right then. Jun had accepted Jeonghan's comforting embrace with open arms as he cried into his shoulder. Seungcheol tried to keep the younger boys entertained and pull their attention away from Jun, knowing it could cause Hansol another panic attack or Chan to have nightmares again. 

"Sh, baby, you're gonna make yourself sick," Jeonghan whispered to Jun. 

"I just miss him so much," Jun cried. 

"I know, honey. It must be really hard to be away from him for so long."

Jun sniffed before continuing, "I raised him. He's the only thing I have, I can't live without him."

"I won't let anyone take him away from you, I promise," Jeonghan said sadly, hoping he could keep true to his promise.


	4. Beautiful Family

"Joshua, you're being serious right? You wouldn't joke about this?" Seungcheol said into his phone, looks of shock on both his and his husband's faces. They had just received a call from Jeonghan informing them that they would be fostering Minghao. It had come as a surprise to both of them and they were honestly freaking out. 

"I'm being 100% serious, hyung. I will bring him to you this evening," Josh confirmed. 

"How did this even happen so soon? We only submitted the paperwork three days ago, it should take weeks?" Jeonghan questioned. 

"Apparently his previous foster family sent him back. They said he had become nonverbal and distant, and he even got aggressive with his foster mother," Joshua explained, "Normally, kids who have a history of aggression rarely get fostered again, but since you two requested him and his brother he's allowed to go immediately to you."

"Wow, Minghao got aggressive? He was so sweet when we met him," Seungcheol said in disbelief. He couldn't imagine Minghao even killing a spider. 

"I think he got really depressed after Junhui left, and then he started to blame his foster parents for taking him away from his brother. Personally, I don't blame the kid at all," the social worker explained. 

"Poor boy. We'll be sure to take care of him when he gets here. He's never going to have to live away from Jun ever again," Jeonghan grabbed Seungcheol's hand and squeezed. They were really doing this. 

"Are you saying you want to adopt them?" They could hear Josh's smile through the phone. 

"Eventually, yes. We still need to ask Hansol and Channie, and we know the process will take a long time, but yes. We want them to become a part of our family." 

"That's so great, hyung. I'm so happy for you both."

"Thanks, Joshie. We'll see you tonight?"

"Yes, I'll be there at 6."

-

Six came quicker than expected. By the time Seungcheol and Jeonghan had a long discussion and decided how they were going to adjust to bringing in a new child, it was already 5:45. 

"Do we tell Jun now?"

"Nah, let's surprise him," Seungcheol said with mischief in his eyes. Jun had also been really depressed the past couple days, and hadn't even come out of his room except to eat and go to school. 

"Okay, I'll go tell Hansol and Chan though," Jeonghan kissed his husband with a giddy smile before running upstairs. Seungcheol felt the same giddiness on his own face. 

Seungcheol decided to use the next 15 minutes tidying up the house, making a mental note to remind the kids that they had to put away their toys if they were going to play with them in the living room. After stepping on two legos and a very suspicious puddle of liquid, he deemed the house clean enough to be presentable. He checked his watch and cursed silently, it was 6:01 and he didn't even know if the boys were ready. 

"Everybody! Come downstairs for a minute, please!" He shouted upstairs. 

Jun was the first one to come tiptoeing down from his bedroom. He was still in his pajamas, a new set that Jeonghan had bought the boy after learning he didn't has any pajamas of his own, and his hair looked a mess. He furrowed his eyebrows, "Is everything okay, hyung?"

"Everything's fine, baby. We just have a family announcement and I wanted everyone down here at the same time." Seungcheol explained. 

"Oh, okay."

"Daddy, look!" Chan giggled. Seungcheol looked up to see Jeonghan carrying Hansol on his back and Chan in his arms. His husband gave him a pleading look and whispered 'help'. Seungcheol laughed and swooped over to the trio. 

"I think you guys are gonna give Appa gray hairs pretty soon," Seungcheol joked and took Hansol from off of Jeonghan's back, the boy giggling. 

Before the parents could say anything else they were interrupted by the door bell. 

"Jun, can you get it please?" Jeonghan asked innocently, winking at the rest of the family after Jun turned his back. 

"Sure, hyung." The teenager stalked over to the front door and swung it open, gasping in shock when he saw who was in the other side. 

"Hao?"

"Jun!" Minghao ran into the entry way and hugged onto his brother's legs tightly, a huge smile on his face. Josh watched with a grin as Jun lifted the small into his arms, twirling him in a circle. 

"Why are you here? Did Nancy and Doug let you come?" Jun asked in disbelief. 

"Actually, that's the thing we needed to tell you, Jun," Jeonghan started, "We're going to be Minghao's foster parents now."

"Are you serious? How? What?" The teenage boy was in shock to say the least. 

Minghao laughed at his older brother's expression, "We're gonna live together again!"

"Nancy and Doug decided they weren't fit to be foster parents and they sent him back into the system. However, your hyungs had already put in the paperwork to take him in so he was allowed to come straight here," Joshua explained. 

Jun set his brother back on the ground before running up to the two parents and throwing his arms around both of them in a bone crushing embrace, "Thank you. Thank you so much, hyungs."

"You don't have to thank us, baby. This is something we wanted to do," Seungcheol said as he ran his fingers through Jun's hair. 

As the trio hugged, Chan and Hansol ran up to Minghao, "We're gonna be brothers now!"

"Really?" Minghao asked excitedly. 

"Yeah!" Hansol replied, "And that means we can play together whenever we want!"

"Wow! Can we play now?" 

"I don't know. Lemme ask Appa," Chan ran back to his father, "Appa, can we play with Minghao-hyung now?"

Jeonghan pulled away from the three man hug and smiled at his son, "Sure, Channie, but stay in the living room, okay?"

"Okay!" The three young boys ran to the living room and the older people watched fondly. 

"Can I go too?" Jun asked timidly. 

"Of course, Junie," Jeonghan said and ruffled the boy's hair. Jun grinned at them and ran after the younger boys. 

Josh walked up and put his hands on his friends' shoulders, "Your family is beautiful."

"We know."


End file.
